To obtain maximum or optimum engine performance from an internal combustion engine, e.g. an automobile engine, high compression ratios are frequently encountered within the cylinder bore of the engine. Such high compressions tend to improve the performance of the engine, but impart added stresses on the gasket or seal disposed between the cylinder block and the cylinder head. In such high compression engines, the head gasket normally disposed between these two parts frequently blows or ruptures. This necessitates a frequent replacement of the head gasket. Heretofore, such replacement of the gasket was a tedious, inconvenient and time consuming operation because the engine must be partially disassembled.
In the past, the problem of frequently blowing the heat gasket due to the high compressions encountered in such engine had been resolved by an expensive and difficult job of removing the cylinder block from the automobile for machining a groove around each cylinder bore. A copper ring or seal would then be placed in each annular groove so machined before reassembling the cylinder block and cylinder head. Such copper ring gasket thus aids to contain the high compression pressures in the cylinder bore, thereby obviating the problem of frequent blowing or rupturing of a conventional head gasket.
While the machining of the sealing grooves and placement of the copper rings adequately resolved the blowing head gasket problem, the machining of such groove proved to be an inconvenient, time consuming and expensive task because typically, the heavy cylinder block had to be completely removed from the vehicle and sent to a machine shop for machining of the sealing grooves therein. In such situations, and especially for an auto enthusiast or racer, the time and expense required to machine such sealing grooves into the cylinder block was either prohibitive or costly. Therefore, without a simple, inexpensive, and convenient way to machine these sealing grooves in a cylinder block, many individuals wishing to do so simply could not afford to and/or the time would not permit such modification.